'It's time to fight back' - Jon Trickett MP joins Wakefield striking teachers at city centre rally

Mr Trickett stood with teachers and supporters in the Bullring for the rally, organised by the Wakefield District NEU.

As a crowd gathered with placards, joining teachers from across the country demanding better pay.

Mr Trickett said: “Wakefield was one of the great centres of the strike of the miners all those years ago.

"What was missing was the other unions backing the miners' problems. But now what we have is fightback from all the unions.

"There are strikes right across the teaching profession, civil servants...railway drivers...it’s time to fight back.”

He went on to say: “Teachers, teaching assistants and all those people who are working in our schools, they care for each other, for the children and for the community they are part of and our teachers deserve to be paid a proper living wage with a proper pay structure.

"Wakefield needs to be at the centre of all the action.

"I will always support working people fighting for a better world, and that’s what teachers do every single day of their lives.”